News & Brews April 13, 2022
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Trump anti-endorses in PA GOP gubernatorial primary
Twitter got all atwitter yesterday as former President Trump issued an anti-endorsement of GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill McSwain. Apparently, Trump blames McSwain (among others) for the 2020 election results. You can read Trump’s statement here, or click here to read the AP’s story. (In disclosure, Commonwealth Partners has endorsed Bill McSwain for governor.)
Corman withdraws—then un-withdraws—from governor’s race
Well, this was an interesting development. Yesterday, Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman filed paperwork to withdraw from the GOP primary for governor. Then, a few hours later, he changed his mind and filed more paperwork to un-withdraw. Per Corman, his reasons for the un-withdrawal were two: First, Trump’s statement on McSwain (see previous item). And second, Corman said he spoke directly with Trump, who encouraged him to stay in the race.
House passes Fairness in Women’s Sports Act
Yesterday, the House passed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, sponsored by Republican Rep. Barb Gleim (Cumberland County), which would ensure women are not forced to compete against biological males on school sports teams. The vote was 115-84, with Republican Todd Stephens joining most Democrats in opposing the bill. Four Democrats—Frank Burns, Ed Neilson, Mark Rozzi, and Chris Sainato—voted in favor of the bill.
‘Style, substance, and strategy’ in the Dem. Senate primary
PennLive takes a long look at the similarities and differences among three Democrat contenders for U.S. Senate—from the “establishment guy” (Rep. Conor Lamb) to the “non-traditional candidate” (Lt. Gov. John Fetterman) to the “voice of the younger, progressive wing” of the party (Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta). Check out the piece here.
VP Harris visits Philly
Vice President Kamala Harris came to Philly yesterday to meet with unions and labor leaders. Speaking to workers in South Philly, she told them that “unions move our nation forward.” Her visit came amid news that inflation hit a 40-year high. Hmm, that can’t be good for workers.
Op-Ed: ‘Legislators must protect the rights of Pennsylvania’s workers’
Speaking of unions, Republican Rep. Torren Ecker (Adams and Cumberland counties) had an op-ed in PennLive on efforts to protect workers’ rights and privacy. Ecker’s proposal, for example, would amend our state constitution to “guarantee all employees’ rights to secret ballot elections for any election required by federal or state law, including when voting for workplace representation.”